Real Weddings: Falling Fast at the Stein Eriksen Lodge

Christina Vaca & Ryan Pelo – 11.7.15

THE COUPLE

Salt Lake residents Christina and Ryan met in Chicago while attending Northwestern University for their doctorates in physical therapy. After five years of dating, Ryan proposed during a vacation with his family at Cannon Beach, Oregon.

THE WEDDING

Before moving to Utah, Christina and Ryan planned their wedding from Chicago. “I had always dreamed of a late-fall or early-winter wedding, but in Chicago, that meant it would be have to be indoors,” Christina says. “I had fallen in love with the mountains on our previous trips to Utah.” Two days before the wedding, they treated the bridal party to a tour of Olympic Park, where they met athletes from the World Cup Skeleton Team. The Riverhorse hosted a rehearsal dinner.

THE MOOD

“Stein Eriksen Lodge offered everything we could wish for, from the outstanding service, an outdoor ceremony with the mountains as our backdrop—as well as the ability to have all of our guests within a close proximity at the mid-mountain resort,” Christina explains. “The ballroom has a glass-paneled wall that opens up to a perfect view of the mountains. This was critical for the balance of elegance and rustic lodge flare.”

DJ Craig Chambers emceed the evening music list that included Kodaline’s “The One” for Christina and Ryan’s first dance.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT

“From inside, I watched our photographer position Ryan for our first look,” Christina recalls. “Instead of feeling nervous, I felt this overwhelming sense of calm knowing that the man that I love unconditionally and who had supported me over the past seven years was going to become my husband.”